A ransom note claiming that Nancy Guthrie had died was kept a secret by law enforcement for nearly five months over fears that releasing too much information would hinder the investigation into her disappearance.

The 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home on February 1. Within a week of her disappearance, two notes reportedly written by her abductors were sent to CNN and a local news station in Tucson, CNN reported.

Some information from the first note, which demanded millions of dollars for Nancy Guthrie’s return, was made public. Law enforcement asked the news stations not to report on the second note while they worked to confirm its authenticity. In that note, the supposed culprit claimed that the elderly woman was dead but he did not mean to kill her.

Authorities tried to verify whether Guthrie had died but were unable to, sources told CNN.

Investigators thought keeping the details of the second note private would be beneficial if it came to questioning a potential suspect or suspects, as the note contained information only her kidnappers would know, the sources said.

Authorities also worried that public interest in the high-profile case would fade and that investigators would receive fewer tips if they shared a note claiming she had died.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed the note’s authenticity or provided details about the investigation. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the reported contents of the note, while the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The contents of the second note add context to an emotional video that the Guthrie family released February 7, in which Savannah Guthrie addressed the note writer.

“We received your message and we understand,” she said in the video. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.”

Nancy was reported missing on February 1 after she failed to attend a regular church service. Authorities later said they believed she was abducted or otherwise taken against her will after finding blood near the entrance of her home, which suggested she may have been injured.

The case gained widespread attention as authorities stressed that the elderly woman went missing without her daily medication. After reports emerged of alleged ransom notes connected to the case, the FBI released surveillance footage showing a masked person near her home around the time of her disappearance.

The case drew a massive search effort from local and federal law enforcement, volunteers and search teams, and involved dogs and drones. But despite their best efforts, Nancy has not been found.

Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today show in April following a leave of absence. On Tuesday morning, she addressed the latest developments live on-air.

“I don’t have any comment on this story, and I’m not involved in our coverage. But I can’t pretend I’m not here,” she said, tearfully.

“And so since I am, I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask people, really to beg people to come forward. Somebody knows something,” she said.

“This is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony.”

She added: “We cannot be at peace. So no matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is a moment to tell you that we need your help. We’re begging you for your help.

“Please do the right thing. For us. For our family. For our children,” she said. “We love our mom and we’ll never stop looking for her. Never.”